Self calibrating conformal phased array

Abstract

A system and method for a self calibrating conformal phased array are disclosed involving a plurality of transmit/receive elements; a plurality of embedded, calibration transmit/receive elements scattered across the array; and at least one back-end processor. The calibration transmit/receive elements are used to track any physical calibration transmit/receive element's relative position change caused by array flexure. In one or more embodiments, each of the calibration transmit/receive elements transmit a tone using a small antenna, and the other calibration transmit/receive elements receive the tone using small antennas. The calibration transmit/receive elements that receive the tone measure the phase of the received tone. At least one back-end processor uses the measured phases to determine differential phases from a phase calibration table. Also, at least one back-end processor uses the differential phases to compute a change in apparent location of each transmitting calibration transmit/receive element.

1. A self calibrating conformal phased array, comprising:
 a plurality of transmit/receive elements; 
 a plurality of embedded, calibration transmit/receive elements scattered across the array; 
 wherein the calibration transmit/receive elements are used to track any physical calibration transmit/receive element's relative position change caused by array flexure; and 
 at least one back-end processor, 
 wherein each of the calibration transmit/receive elements transmit a tone using a small antenna, and 
 wherein the other calibration transmit/receive elements receive the tone using small antennas. 
 
     
     
       2. The self calibrating conformal phased array of  claim 1 , wherein the small antennas are small monopole antennas. 
     
     
       3. The self calibrating conformal phased array of  claim 2 , wherein the small monopole antennas are positioned vertical to the array. 
     
     
       4. The self calibrating conformal phased array of  claim 1 , wherein the other calibration transmit/receive elements that receive the tone measure the phase of the received tone. 
     
     
       5. The self calibrating conformal phased array of  claim 4 , wherein the at least one back-end processor uses the measured phases to determine differential phases from a phase calibration table. 
     
     
       6. The self calibrating conformal phased array of  claim 5 , wherein the at least one back-end processor uses the differential phases to compute a change in apparent location of each transmitting calibration transmit/receive element. 
     
     
       7. A method for tracking and calibrating a physical calibration element's relative position change caused by array flexure, the method comprising:
 transmitting a tone from each calibration transmit/receive element using a small antenna; 
 receiving the tone by other calibration transmit/receive elements using small antennas; 
 measuring a phase of the received tone; 
 computing a differential phase from a phase calibration table; and 
 computing a change in apparent location of each transmitting calibration transmit/receive element. 
 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 7 , wherein the small antenna transmitting the tone is a small monopole antenna. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 8 , wherein the small monopole antenna is positioned vertical to the array. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 7 , wherein the small antennas receiving the tone are small monopole antennas. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 10 , wherein the small monopole antennas are positioned vertical to the array. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 7 , wherein at least one back-end processor is used to compute the differential phase from the phase calibration table. 
     
     
       13. A self calibrating system, the system comprising:
 a plurality of embedded, calibration transmit/receive elements scattered across a structure, 
 wherein the calibration transmit/receive elements are used to track any physical calibration transmit/receive element's relative position change caused by structure flexure; and 
 at least one back-end processor, 
 wherein each of the calibration transmit/receive elements transmit a tone using small antennas, and 
 wherein the other calibration transmit/receive elements receive the tone using small antennas. 
 
     
     
       14. The self calibrating system of  claim 13 , wherein the small antennas are small monopole antennas. 
     
     
       15. The self calibrating system of  claim 14 , wherein the small monopole antennas are positioned vertical to the structure. 
     
     
       16. The self calibrating system of  claim 13 , wherein the other calibration transmit/receive elements that receive the tone measure the phase of the received tone. 
     
     
       17. The self calibrating system of  claim 16 , wherein the at least one back-end processor uses the measured phases to determine differential phases from a phase calibration table. 
     
     
       18. The self calibrating system of  claim 17 , wherein the at least one back-end processor uses the differential phases to compute a change in apparent location of each transmitting calibration transmit/receive element.